Chargeable Weight Calculator
Compare actual and volumetric weight to see the chargeable weight your carrier will bill, the greater of the two.
How chargeable weight works
Chargeable weight is the single number a carrier actually bills on. It is the greater of the actual (scale) weight and the volumetric weight:
chargeable weight = max(actual weight, volumetric weight)
where
volumetric weight = (L × W × H) ÷ divisor
This page defaults to the air-freight (IATA) divisor of 6000 cm³/kg, the standard for general airfreight. Dense, heavy shipments are billed on their actual weight; light, bulky ones are billed on volumetric weight.
Worked example (page defaults)
Using the default carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm with an actual weight of 12 kg:
- Volume:
60 × 40 × 40 = 96,000 cm³ - Volumetric weight:
96,000 ÷ 6000 = 16 kg - Chargeable weight:
max(12 kg actual, 16 kg volumetric) =16 kg
Here the box is light for its size, so the 16 kg volumetric figure wins and you are billed on 16 kg, not 12 kg. If the same carton weighed 20 kg, actual weight would win and chargeable weight would be 20 kg.
Divisor reference
| Mode / carrier | Divisor | Volumetric of 60×40×40 cm |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight (IATA) | 6000 cm³/kg | 16 kg |
| Courier (FedEx/UPS/DHL intl) | 5000 cm³/kg | 19.2 → 20 kg |
| Generic imperial | 166 in³/lb | by inch dimensions |
The larger 6000 air divisor gives a lighter volumetric weight than the 5000 courier divisor, so the crossover point, the actual weight at which a box stops being billed on volume, shifts.
When does each weight win?
The break-even is where actual weight equals volumetric weight. Below that, volumetric weight is chargeable; above it, actual weight is. For our 96,000 cm³ box at the 6000 divisor, the break-even is 16 kg: any scale weight under 16 kg is billed at 16 kg.
To see only the volumetric side of the calculation, use the volumetric weight calculator; for pounds and inches use the dimensional weight calculator; and for a dedicated air page see the air freight volumetric weight calculator.